The Judiciary will implement a five-day week in three phases from July 1.

The decision has been made following a consultation with judges and judicial officers, Judiciary staff, the legal profession and other court users in April.

Phase one will start July 1, under which a five-day week will apply to court sittings and back offices without any interface with the public. No court sittings will be listed on Saturdays, except for admission ceremonies for senior counsel, barristers and solicitors in the High Court, hearings fixed by individual Judges or where statute provides for Saturday hearings.

A new Saturday sitting roster arrangement would be introduced at magistracies to deal with fresh remand cases.

Phase two starts January 1. The services to be covered are those which have a public interface but there is no need for legislative amendment, such as information counters and public enquiry services.

Phase three will cover services with a public interface where the implementation of a five-day week will require legislative amendments to primary or subsidiary legislation. These services include Court Registries and general offices of Magistrates' Courts, Accounts Offices, Bailiffs' Offices, the Probate Registry and the Oaths & Declarations Office.

The implementation of phase three and its timing will depend on the completion of the necessary amendments to legislation.

The Judiciary will maintain close liaison with the legal profession, other court users and the public on the implementation of the five-day week and keep all concerned parties informed of the progress.